The reduction of the dynamic range of an audio signal is an important topic in the fields of sound recording, sound reproduction and broadcasting. The reduction of the dynamic range can be relevant for adapting the characteristics of the audio signal on the physical capabilities of the employed audio equipment.
For reducing the dynamic range of an audio signal, compressors can be employed. The compression characteristic of a compressor can be controlled by a plurality of compression parameters which can significantly influence the perceived quality of the audio signal.
The adjustment of the parameters of a compressor is typically performed manually by experienced users. There exists no intuitive mechanism for controlling the compression of an audio signal while concurrently maintaining a high perceived quality of the audio signal.
In G. W. McNally, “Dynamic Range Control of Digital Audio Signals”, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, vol. 32, pp. 316-327, 1984, dynamic range compression using compressors is described.